Michel Moawad, head of the Independence Movement, has called upon the formation of a moderation front in Lebanon and the Arab World asking the 14th of March Alliance and all those who call themselves sovereign to join in.
Moawad addressed General Michel Aoun saying “you have opposed President René Mouawad in 1989, then after his assassination, you realized that you were closer to him than you ever thought you were”. He also criticized Hezbollah which has gone from a partner-citizen to an occupation force.
Moawad’s statements came during the 24th Commemoration of President René Moawad’s Martyrdom alongside his comrades. Held today at 5.30 in the afternoon at the Emile Lahoud Convention Center in Dbayeh and under the high patronage of his Excellency the Lebanese President of the Republic General Michel Sleiman, the event was called upon by former Minister Naila Moawad and the head of the Independence Movement Michel Moawad, who placed the commemoration this year under the title “Together with moderation we are the majority”.
The event was attended by Samir Moukbel, Vice Prime Minister of the caretaker Cabinet and the official representative of the President of the Republic General Michel Sleiman; Parliament Member Kassem Abdel Aziz representing the Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri; the Minister of Telecommunications Nicolas Nahhas [l1] representing PM Najib Mikati; Mohamed Al-Machnouk representing the assigned Prime Minister Tammam Salam; Joyce El-Gemayel representing President Amine El-Gemayel; former Parliament Speaker Hussein Al-Husseini; Parliament Member Ahmad Fatfat representing former PM Fouad Siniora; Parliament Member Nouhad Al-Machnouk representing former PM Saad El-Hariri; Bishop Joseph Mouawad, the official representative of the Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi; Maan Al-Asaad representing the deputy head of the Higher Islamic Shiaa Council Sheikh Abdel-Amir Kabalan; Colonel Ismail Hamdan representing Sheikh Naim Hassan, the official Druze spiritual leader; Father Joseph Tobalian representing the Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia Narciss Pedros the 19th.
Also amongst the attendees were Deputy Parliament Speaker Farid Makari; caretaker Finance Minister Mohamed Al Safadi; caretaker Minister Freij Sabounjian; caretaker Culture Minister Gaby Layyoun representing Parliament Member General Michel Aoun; police head Colonel Elias Saadeh representing caretaker Security and Municipalities Minister Marwan Charbel; Parliament Member Henry Helou representing fellow Parliament Member Walid Jumblat; the Brazilian Ambassador to Lebanon Alfonso De Alan Castro and the Malta Ambassador to Lebanon Charles Henry; Richard Males representing the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Hill; in addition to the following Parliament Members: Dory Chamoun, Agob Bakradonian, Marwan Hmadeh, Mohamed Kabbani, Boutros Harb, Ahmad Fatfat, Nadim El-Gemayel, Jean Ogassabian, Arthur Nazarian, Nehme Tohme, Nidale Tohme, Kazem El-Kheir, Nehmat Allah Abi Nasser, Antoine Zahra, Jamal Al-Jarrah, Khodor Habib, Shant Janjanian, Mosbah Al-Ahdab, Walid Khoury, Fouad Al-Saad, Antoine Saad, Fady Karam, Georges Aadwan representing the head of the Lebanese Forces party Samir Geagea, Elie Keyrouz, Dr. Salim Hmadeh representing Parliament Member Talal Erslan, and the representative of former Parliament Member Issam Fares.
The attendees also comprised the Commander of the Northern region Staff Brigadier General Marwan Halawi representing the Commander of the Lebanese Army General Jean Kahwaji; in addition to the following former ministers: Salim Sayegh, Youssef Salameh and Mona Affeich, Elie Obeid representing the former Minister Jean Obeid and former Parliament Members Nohad Said and Jawad Boulos; the head of the Syndicate of Journalists Mohamed Baalbaky; the head of the Syndicate of Editors Elias Aoun; lawyer Samih Bcherrawi representing the Lawyers’ Syndicate President Georges Jreij; Colonel Jihad Hwayeck representing Director General of the Interior Forces Brigadier General Ibrahim Basbous; Brigadier General Elias Al Baysari representing the Director General of the General Security Major General Abbas Ibrahim; Colonel Sassine Merheb representing Director General of the State Security Major General Georges Karaa; and the Beirut Governor by proxy Nassif Kalouch.
Also attending were Cardinal Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir; the Tripoli and North Mufti Malek Al-Chaar; the President of the General Maronite Council former Minister Wadih Al-Khazen; Jamil Mouawad representing the head of the Maronite League Samira Abi Lamaa; Bishop Boulos Emile Saadeh; Archimandrite Estfanos Abdelnour representing Bishop Elias Aoudeh; Father Abdo Abou Kasem; Father Nader Nader representing Abbot Daoud Reaidy; Father Georges Khadra; Atef Nohra representing the head of the Syndicate of Dentists Dr. Elie Maalouf; Zgharta District Officer Imane Al-Rafihi; coordinator of the General Secretariat of the 14th of March Alliance Fares Souaid; head of the Democratic Renewal Movement Kamil Zyadeh and his Secretary Dr. Antoine Haddad; Chaker Aoun representing the Lebanese Phalanges party; Rached Fayed representing the Secretary General of the Future Movement Ahmad Al-Hariri; Sevag Avopian of the Ramgavar party; Simon Dergham of the National Liberal Party; the head of the Tripoli municipality Nader Al-Ghazal; Youssef Al Doueihy; Second Councilor at the French Embassy Jean Cristo Aug; the counselor of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hussein Tawassouli; Major General Ashraf Rifi; Joyce El-Gemayel; Hoda Tabbarah wife of former Minister Bahij Tabbara representing Nazek Al-Hariri; Dany Mouawad and Nohad Al-Kadri; in addition to the members of the Mouawad family and other political, social, media and military figures, heads of municipalities, mayors, and representatives of civil society organizations, as well as a crowd of civilians from Zgharta Al-Zawiya and other northern villages and towns.
The ceremony started with the national anthem, followed by a recorded speech by formal President Moawad entitled “A decision cannot erase history”, and a first video featuring an intervention by Major General Ashraf Rifi who spoke about “extremism and the role of the Directorate General of the Internal Security forces in confronting terrorists and Takfiri movements sent by the Syrian regime to Lebanon.”
Khoury
Media figure Gisèle Khoury gave a speech as well in which she said: “On a day of independence, with the breaking dawn of a settlement and a new constitution, they assassinated the President of the new era. After all these years, the investigation remains open and the martyrdom of the President is labeled as “a given casualty of a fiery phase”. Moawad is the martyr of a chartered constitution. A man killed by a truce signed during a time of killing, paving the way to the custodianship protocol. A partisan of independence, he was eliminated to shut his free voice under the reign of confused settlements and custodianship”.
She added: “With you gone, they could not be disturbed; with you becoming a martyr, they turned the page; with you no longer here, they torn a picture of Lebanon’s political legacy representing a time of national consensus. We’re a people with a nightmare-like future, and a dream-like past. But we will fight, we will confront and stand up for ourselves and for the country you died for and we so much loved.”
Allawi
Khoury speech was followed by a video intervention by former temporary Iraqi Prime Minister Dr. Ayad Allawi who said: “Lebanon’s distinguishing feature is moderation, a moderation that the late martyr President René Moawad embodied perfectly; he was the hope in a time of despair. That’s why, and since 1989, we keep his stands, role and sacrifices in mind, up until his ultimate sacrifice for a country he loved. Unfortunately, the forces of evil and treachery wanted to target Lebanon and the safety of its people by targeting him.”
He added: “We live in perilous times, not only for Lebanon but also for the region, especially in light of the international changes. Everyone knows that Christians always stood out as a main segment of our Arab World with their generosity, performance, commitment, culture and peaceful inclinations. The war today is not that of Christians against Muslims but rather of extremists against moderates.”
Allawi concluded: “Radical extremist thoughts, be it in politics or religion, can only harm a society and its structure, which weakens the region as a whole; and that is exactly what we should avoid.”
Moussa
As for Amro Moussa, the former General Secretary of the League of Arab States, he underlined the “national role played by the martyr President René Moawad”, saying: “the region is changing and Lebanon will be amongst the countries which will be affected by those changes if the country knows how to play its cards right. Moderation has become today an important matter; we surely shouldn’t deny our origins, legacy or culture, but our identity should be unchained and open to changes. Our legacy should be an incentive for us to move forward not to go backwards.”
He added: “The world is opening up and the Arab World or the Middle East cannot see itself as an exception to the rule of international connection and communication, because things don’t work this way. Extremism is a real threat and the economic frailty is making things worse; all these factors will have a role to play in the upcoming shift.”
He concluded: “Moderation is a national middle-way and the voice of reason; that’s why it will prevail at the end. The future requires a new type of politics based on moderation, rational thinking and a sense of collaboration to move ahead and advance.”
Al-Amine
As for the journalist Ali Al-Amine, he said: “That independence day was the beginning of Karbala for civil peace, and the start point of a painful path on which we Lebanese still walk. Yes, President René Moawad was a partisan of the moderate “Hussein” and a real man of the middle, because moderation is not a doubtful position between what’s right and what’s wrong. He is a man of the middle between two extremes: the extreme hostility towards the Muslim Arab region and its causes on one hand, and the extreme alienation to its despotic, unfair regimes on the other; that’s why Moawad was killed. He was neither a militia leader nor a partisan of wars; he was a man of the state, striving to carry on the Chehabi era dream and its project of building a state of law, institutions and sovereignty. During his few days as President of the Republic, he expressed the will of a people seeking salvation and an escape from random wars and militias. He worked to restate the status of the state and his assassination was directly aimed at dispensing the project of the state and a new attempt to murder the nation.”
He added: “Today, Arab nations have spoken, not the least of which was the Syrian people, crying for salvation in this part of the world. As we remember together Martyr René Moawad, the Syrians write the last words of their despotic murderous regime. The same assassins who murdered and continue to murder them, killed René Mouawad because he refused to see Lebanon turn into a Syrian alleyway or remain the scene of conflicting alleyways.”
To continue: “He was murdered to keep those alleyways going and to keep the Lebanese-Syrian borders blurred. With him gone, a Lebanon of predominance was born, not the predominance of the Christian over the Muslim or the Muslim over the Christian, but the predominance of the non-state over the state; the predominance of custodianship and occupation over sovereignty and independence; the predominance of tyranny over democracy. René Moawad was killed because he was the gate keeper of the Chehabi school of thought, one that sanctified the idea of the state. He thought of his Christianity not in a narrow-minded sectarian way, but within the largest Lebanese nationalistic picture… Had René Mouawad been a partisan of minorities’ alliance, he might have still been with us today.”
Al Amine concluded: “whenever an official became Lebanese in the historic sense, they would kill him”, adding: “whenever one of us became Lebanese, they would make him disappear.”
Al Jarba
Next came a word by Mr. Ahmad Al-Jarba, the President of the Syrian Opposition’s National Coalition from outside Syria, who confirmed that “moderation is the claim of the majority in Syria”, confirming that “President René Moawad was a symbol of moderation and we are very much in need of men like him today.”
Al Jarba described Syria’s relation with Lebanon as an occupation saying: “We as Syrians were occupied by this regime. What the Lebanese have suffered, the Syrians have suffered as well. This is a sneaky and malicious regime. I have a Lebanese friend who told me that when he used to hear a Syrian accent he would feel depressed because it reminded him of the Syrian barricade that offended him, his lady friend, his sister, his mother, his father and his brother. But after the revolution, this accent became music to his ears.”
Al Jarba underlined that “since March 2011, a true reconciliation took place between Syria and Lebanon, and the Lebanese finally realized that not all Syrians represent the Baath party, the Assad regime or the seemingly opposition block” adding “Al-Assad wants to hold the entire Alawite sect hostage. The war in Syria opposes a corrupt family with a bunch of “chabbihas” of different nationalities to the people of Syria”. He added: “Some Takfiris have tried to own the revolution, but the real war in Syria opposes the partisans of dictatorship to freedom seekers. Some may like to give this war a different meaning – the Takfiris to be more exact – after being recruited and trained by the Assad regime which sent them to Iraq under the supervision of the Americans. There is also an undeniable Iranian involvement, with Iranians admitting their military presence in Syria. Hezbollah is also there in addition to other extremists from Iraq.”
Al Jarba confirmed that “what truly protects Syrian minorities and safeguards coexistence in Syria and the entire region is democracy.”
About his vision on Syria’s relations with Lebanon, Al Jarba says: “I believe that drawing the borders between both countries is the solution that best suits Lebanon; this will be our first priority. The second dossier will be that of the Lebanese detained in the regime prisons; until now and despite favorable relations between certain Lebanese parties and the Syrian regime, no progress has been made on that front. Balanced political relations between the two countries are the only way out. We do not want secret intelligence services working in Lebanon; we want full-fledged embassies to take care of the Lebanese and Syrians’ affairs in Damascus and Beirut respectively.”
Al Jarba concluded: “Together with the moderates, we form a majority in Syria, despite all you might hear. I can assure you that the dark extreme forces you see in the media are only a minority. In times of war, extremists emerge only to disappear again in times of peace. The war will end, and a new dawn of freedom will break to free us from a despotic regime which has tortured Syrians and Lebanese alike during the past four decades.”
The speech was then followed by a video including martyr Presidents Bachir El-Gemayel, Rafic El-Hariri and René Mouawad.
Michel Moawad
Michel Moawad, the head of the Independent Movement, also gave a speech, saying:
“I call upon you Lebanese, in the name of our sons and daughters, in the name of Lebanon the future, Lebanon the message of hope and life, I ask you to hold on to the national consensus charter, which is a project of peace; one that bestows unity, freedom, sovereignty and progress.
I call upon you to repel any scheme that could eventually lead to a national split without it ensuring the nation’s sovereignty or the citizens’ freedom.
I call upon you to join our march towards building one strong state instead of having several states within the same country; a state that would reinforce the law on all Lebanese territories and citizens without compromise or appease. This is what President René Mouawad asked for in his Independence speech the night of his martyrdom in 1989. Let me read these words to you:
They make us choose between Israel’s occupation and Iran’s custodianship.
There is no difference between the forceful invasion of the land, and the forceful hold-up of an identity.
They make us choose between dictatorship and religious extremism, one that rejects diversity.
There is no difference between the “Chabbiha”, “Daech”, or “Abou Fadel Al Abbas”.
There is no difference between those who slay people, eat human livers, rape children and commit genocides by killing their own people using chemical weapons; and those who assassinate us and threaten us every day with cutting hands off.
There is no right extremism and wrong extremism; criminal acts are always criminal.
He added: “No more relying on external powers like we used to do; no more going by the saying: “to escape the wolf we call upon the hyena; to escape the hyena, we get the lion on board”. We Lebanese have done that repeatedly and know by now where we could end up if we continue down the same road. I call upon you to always remember: to get rid of the Palestinian weapon, they approved the Syrian custodianship and the Israeli army was greeted into our territory. We say no more.”
Then Moawad wondered: “How is it possible that some Lebanese are still trying to bring Bachar Al-Assad’s custodianship back while his regime is agonizing, all under the false pretexts of protecting the Christians from Takfiri movements? How can we still believe any party who wants to convince us that to keep the Israelis out of our land we need to succumb to the Iranian custodianship which threatens the Lebanese identity and freedom? If they wanted to bring all those who oppose Israel into Lebanon, let them bring Ayman Al Zawahiri and other extremist to our country. I really hope that they didn’t bring him already.”
Moawad continued: “No. Lebanon is not an open land for Israel or any other occupation force; it is neither a land of Jihad nor a land of Nosra. Lebanon is not land to any Faqih. Lebanon is a nation, a state, an identity and a belonging. It is a country with 6,000 years of legacy, history and civilization.
We, the sovereign Lebanese people – whether Christians, Sunnis, Shias or Druze – we will not allow an Israeli occupation, an Iranian dictatorship or a Syrian custody. We will not tolerate Shiaa or Sunni extremism, or any kind of extremism for that matter. Our land and identity, our children and future, we will not leave them at the mercy of some dark forces that could be in dispute but would still come together when need be; because the reason why one force exists, explains the very existence of the other. Doesn’t this describe the bond that ties Bachar Al-Assad to Daech or Jabhet Al Nosra? Bachar Al-Assad nourishes Daech and Jabhet Al Nosra; their leaders were released from Assad’s prisons and let loose to scare the world while the dictator uses their presence to justify his power hold, despite his people’s opposing will. Yes. Dark forces that even when in dispute, are conspiring on us. Their interests do meet and they do exchange services.”
Moawad asked: “Is it a coincidence that the occupied Golan Heights have not witnessed a single drop of blood since 1973? We say a conspiracy against us. Is it also a coincidence that Israel looked away when Assad’s tanks entered the unarmed region in the Golan Heights to help him attack his own people? We say common interests. Is it a coincidence for some to limit the jurisdiction of the Lebanese army around the Naher Al Bared Camp to protect Chaker Al-Absi or to assign a deputy from his coalition to release Omar Bakry Fustuk from prison? We say exchange of services. We understand that Iran serves its own interests and we do not have a problem with the Iranians in general, as long as they keep away from our sovereignty and identity. It is only normal in politics for Israel to work for its best interests, for Bachar Al-Assad to do the same, and for Al-Nosra and Daech to work for the best interest of Al-Qaedah.”
He added: “The problem is that all of those consider Lebanon as a card to play or a battle field, which endangers the very foundations of Lebanon. But what’s even more dangerous, is to see a Lebanese party – one that is supposed to be a national partner – striving to monopolize our decision-making power, following the orders of Iran and Bachar Al-Assad.
What we fail to understand and can’t possibly accept is to see Hezbollah turning from a national partner to an occupation force.
When a party dominates the sovereign decisions and keeps a firm grip over constitutional institutions, vital facilities, the airport, the seaport and other major national constituents with the purpose of sabotaging them, this party turns into an occupation force.
When a party places itself above the law and above the jurisdiction; when it answers to no one and is accountable to no one; when it places itself above the Constitution, contradicts the Charter, and confiscates the will of the Lebanese, this party turns into an occupation force. When a party officially declares its willingness to distort our identity and change our way of living so that Lebanon becomes to its image and worthy of its resistance, then this party becomes an occupation force.
How can we accept that when even the Syrian and Israeli occupations couldn’t – and didn’t even dare – to alter our way of living and our social freedom?
Since its establishment, Hezbollah has announced its vision of Lebanon, and then blurred it a little after the war, but its convictions remained unshaken: Lebanon should be an Islamic Republic affiliated with Wilayat Al Faqih in Iran. Here’s a party that asks for no permission and answers to no one. A party that asks everyone else to succumb to its will, and calls upon us to surrender, using threats, intellectual intimidation and terrorist acts while bragging about nuclear negotiations. We always perceived the United States as Satan himself. Yet today, we have discovered that the devil lives amongst us! They used to tell us that their weapons will not be used internally, but later events revealed their true intentions: not to fight Israel, but to control Lebanon. And they ask us to succumb and surrender? And us, do we just obey? When all the forces of the world conspired on us, we didn’t kneel. 30 years of occupation and custodianship yet we still stood tall.”
He said: “We are the heirs of René Moawad who died as a martyr and didn’t succumb to their will. We are the descendants of Mar Youhanna Maroun, Fakhreddine and Youssef Beik Karam who resisted to keep us in our land. We are the guardians of the Republic of Independence, the Republic of Kamal Jumblat, Moussa Al-Sader, Bachir El-Gemayel, René Mouawad and Rafic Al-Hariri. You want us to succumb? Review the pages of History of my friends and you will get our answer.
Allow me here to address Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Sayyed Hassan, with all due respect, the logic of “I don’t need permission” doesn’t work in Lebanon. The predominance of one sole party is not a model that you can apply in this country. Many before you have tried and failed.
Is it necessary to remind you of the words of our great Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, the Patriarch of coexistence, consensus and the second independence? He said: “if the Lebanese were to choose between freedom and coexistence, history proved that they will never hesitate – especially Christians – in choosing freedom which represents for them an unshaken principle”. Coexistence, Sayyed Hassan, cannot be through subordination. This is a main lesson from our common history. The path you’re following can only lead to total destruction. Why would you want us to get there? If we do, then even federalism will become impossible since in a federal state, parties agree on the large titles which govern external politics and the defense strategy, which constitute the basis of our dispute with you”.
Moawad added: “You don’t agree that Lebanon should be neutralized which constitutes the essence of the Baabda Declaration, and you don’t want to accept a defense strategy under the auspices of the state which constitutes the essence of the national dialogue table. We will not succumb, and it is impossible to accept subordination or to settle with divorce. We are the heirs of René Moawad whom gave up his life trying to fulfill the national reconciliation “that does not exclude anyone even those who insist on excluding themselves”. We are state men, charter sons, heirs of Bechara El-Khoury, Riad Al-Soloh, Fouad Chehab, Mohamad Mehdi Chamseddine and Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. This is our faith and this is our choice: either the Lebanese constitution or the Bible. God rest your soul Fouad Chehab. No subordination and no divorce, but confrontation. Yes, a civil confrontation for Lebanon, all of Lebanon. One front. A moderate Christian, Sunni, Druze and Shia front, yes Shia, whom became the fuel for regional fights and are today paying the price for Hezbollah’s alienation to external forces, deadly choices, booby trapped cars and suicide attacks in the heart of the southern Dahieh. We need a confrontation to protect Lebanon the charter, the entity, the identity and the diversified model; a confrontation to impose commitment to the Baabda Declaration and to the neutralization of Lebanon; to surrender all weapons to the state and restore its sovereign powers; a confrontation to break the barricade on our Constitution and to claim back our constitutional institutions while confirming our right in democracy, the voting ballots, and the transfer of power; a confrontation to protect our children, our free economy, our living, our stability and our dignity; a confrontation to preserve our way of life so we can go out at night, drink and practice all our freedoms, live all together here in Lebanon, each on his own way, but all under the roof of the Lebanese laws and Constitution, whether they like it or not.
He continued: “Confrontation is not a slogan but a decision, and we cannot face extremism and dictatorship, unless with a bold decision to form a moderate front in Lebanon and the region. A moderate front that constitutes an alliance of democratic values and freedoms; the preservation of diversity, pluralism and openness; the protection of freedom of belief and speech; the respect for the human being as a cultural value; the pursuit of trends and development. Moderation in politics is a definitive decision in face of extremism. Moderation is a life project; the only stability and progress facing extremism which constitutes a blasphemous, explosive and suicidal alternative. Moderation is a diversity plan; it is embracing pluralism and accepting others as opposite to totalitarian thinking, rejection and cancellation. Moderation is coming back to confront extremism which can only prevail with weapons.”
And he said: “Yes, the formation of a moderate front based on a rock-solid moderation. Moderation is neither subordination nor compromise nor hesitation; moderation does not mean that we have “no color or taste or smell”. This is the moderate René Moawad, believer in pluralism and openness onto everyone and reaching out to everyone; René Moawad who strongly defended his convictions and fought for Lebanon and its state. This is the hard-core moderate René Moawad facing the domination of the Syrian regime until martyrdom. This is René Moawad and this is Lebanon’s real image.”
And he continued: “On this particular occasion, I address my comrades in the 14th of March Alliance as well as all my sovereign comrades: I call upon you to be the corner stone to launch the moderation front in Lebanon. And since we have always been the leaders in sowing the seeds of revolutions in the Arab world, let us be today pioneers in forming the Arab moderation front; let us be partners in an Arab world that looks like us so that Lebanon remains to our image. Confrontation is at our doors, and to win it we cannot fight it dispersed. Confrontation is not fought by partisans or factions, not via sectarianism and not even via the 14th of March Alliance in the narrow sense. Enough debate about the angels’ sex whereas Lebanon the state and identity is crumbling down. Let us stop fooling ourselves. Confrontation is done hand in hand, Christians and Sunnis and Shias and Druze, under the moderation front banner, faction, political powers, unions, youngsters and elders, workers and farmers, media professionals and elites, residents and expatriates. And to the Lebanese Christians I say: our presence on this land is not coincidental nor by accident. This presence is not a gift from anyone; we earned it and deserved it due to our ancestors’ resistance and the sacrifices of our fathers. We do not need protection, neither from minorities nor from majorities. We claimed a role in this East and defended it with our lives. We carried the values of freedom, human rights, development, moderation and openness, and died for them to prevail.”
Moawad added: “Today, we are invited to renew our faith in our message and our role; to confront the duality of tyranny and extremism, fearless and assertive. And as we were pioneers in the Arab renaissance, we are invited today to lead the moderation front in Lebanon and the region. No one can push us towards isolationism and we cannot retire because wherever we go, the fire will get to us. Our role is not to be bystanders, neither to support an extremism in the face of another or despotism in the face of another. Our role is to be a connecting line and a solid bond among moderates from all sects and factions, because our historical value and our plans for Lebanon do not materialize unless with moderation.”
He added: “On this particular occasion, with all its meanings, I address General Michel Aoun who is present here today and represented by minister Gaby Layyoun, whom participation we salute, and I say to him: General, you have opposed President René Moawad in 1989, then after his assassination, you realized that you were closer to him than you ever thought you were. The Syrian regime was the only beneficiary from this dispute; it assassinated René Moawad as a prelude to October 13th and exiled you while arrested Doctor Geagea so it can tighten its grip on Lebanon. Let’s all learn from the past. Hezbollah’s scheme does not match your image and no one can accept it any longer. If this plot prevails, God forbids, we will pay the price together once again. We respect your position and we know that your natural position is definitely a defensive position towards the state and legitimacy. That’s why I call upon you today, and in all honesty, to overcome sensitivities and lineups before it is too late. Let’s rally under the moderation flag to defend Lebanon, its identity, its legitimacy and the presidency of the republic which if left alone, will all break down.”
And he concluded: “I call upon all moderation forces in Lebanon and the Arab world. We have two options: either we win or we win. We are a majority, definitely a majority. However it is not enough to be a majority; we must translate this majority into actions. We must “roll up our sleeves” and gather our strengths to protect our choices and face together dictatorships and extremism, all of them. Confrontation is not between sects and factions, not between Christians and Muslims, not between Sunnis and Shias and not between majorities and minorities; the essence of confrontation is between moderation and extremism and we and moderation are a majority. Long live moderation, long live the independence and long live Lebanon.”
العربية